A visit with 2026 LB Jaxon Pyatt on his third trip to Ole Miss: ‘They’re number 1 right now’
OXFORD, Miss. — The Class of 2026 playmakers are wasting no time in capitalizing on the start of the formal recruitment period. However, the Rebels have already made quite the impact on Arvada West (CO) linebacker, Jaxon Pyatt. The swiftly-rising 3-star athlete and Colorado native has been making his presence known, taking several trips to Oxford.
Excited to be back at the SIP 🦈 for camp on June 14!@TheRebelWalk @Rebels247 @OMSpiritOn3 @Zach_Berry @tylerkomis @JaredERedding
@adamgorney @JMakeGillespie pic.twitter.com/6RL5bwx22X— Jaxon Pyatt (@JaxonPyatt) June 10, 2024
Pyatt stands as the No. 32 linebacker in his class and the No. 2 overall player in the state of Colorado. As a freshman at Arvada, he saw five starts at linebacker and saw action in 9 games total where he tallied 21 tackles, 6 tackles-for-loss (TFL) and one sack.
During his sophomore campaign, Pyatt led the team in tackles, sacks and TFL. As his team’s starting middle linebacker, he notched 102 tackles, 4 sacks, 17 TFL, 10 QB hurries and two forced fumbles.
His performance didn’t go unnoticed as Pyatt, whose father Brad Pyatt played wide receiver for the Kentucky Wildcats before going on to an NFL career, was named to the All-Colorado, All-State and All-Conference teams as a linebacker.
First half of the season ✅! Here are a few of my mid-season highlights. pic.twitter.com/dagAskmSn7
— Jaxon Pyatt (@JaxonPyatt) September 25, 2023
Jaxon returned to Oxford for the final round of Rebels’ camp this past week and we had the pleasure of catching up with him to see how things went, as well as to get an update on his recruitment.
Risinging 2026 LB @JaxonPyatt out of Arvada West (CO) returned to Oxford this past week! We will have more with him over @TheRebelWalk . pic.twitter.com/HtrsBEMeeY
— LeeAnn Herring (@MissKYUS2011) June 19, 2024
A Visit with Jaxon Pyatt
RW: What stood out about this visit to Oxford?
Pyatt: “The vibe and energy around the program was great. The coaches and staff members were super personable and being coached by elite college coaches was unforgettable.”
RW: After the visit, where does this put the Rebs in your recruitment?
Pyatt: “They’re number 1 right now. This was my third visit and it keeps getting better.”
RW: Will you be making any additional visits back to Oxford or any other schools?
Pyatt: “I’m coming back for the Sept 28th game vs. UK. I have camps in Oklahoma and Kansas State this week and I’ll be camping at Oregon in late July.”
RW: What is your timeline to make a commitment?
Pyatt: “I’m deciding sooner rather than later, probably after my junior season. I’ve been to over 15 visits over the past year and have a good idea of what I want.”
RW: What will be the factors in your final choice?
Pyatt: “I want a school where the culture fits me with strong relationships with the coaches and the team. I also want an opportunity to contribute early.”
Pyatt, in addition to his abilities on the field, is coachable, determined, physical and hungry to make things happen. We look forward to sharing more on his recruiting journey as the time draws closer for Pyatt to make a decision. But from the looks of things, the Rebels are doing a heck of job to remain in the hunt for this talented linebacker.
Hotty Toddy!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
